England kicked off their World Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday, but former international striker Clinton Morrison believes the performance raised as many questions as it answered — particularly at the back.

Defensive concerns despite a winning start

Morrison was full of praise for England's second-half display, describing it as outstanding and played at a brilliant tempo. The first half, however, left assistant coach Anthony Barry visibly frustrated at half-time. England responded well after the break and could have extended their winning margin further.

"It's a good start from England, but the only worrying thing is conceding those two goals," Morrison noted. He was also surprised by manager Thomas Tuchel's decision to leave Marc Guéhi out of the starting lineup, considering Guéhi his pick for England's best centre-back. Tuchel instead opted for John Stones and Ezri Konsa in central defence.

"Better teams will cause England more problems at the back," Morrison warned, though he acknowledged that England themselves carry a genuine threat going forward — as demonstrated when Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Morgan Rogers all made impactful substitute appearances.

Bellingham the standout

Jude Bellingham drew particular admiration from Morrison, who highlighted the midfielder's tenacity, desire to win, and diligent defensive work off the ball. Morrison dismissed the criticism that sometimes follows Bellingham, calling him world class and insisting he proved it once again against Croatia.

Bellingham pipped Morgan Rogers to the number 10 role, and Morrison felt that was the correct call. "In big tournaments, you sometimes need to go with a bit more experience," he said. "Bellingham got the nod and thoroughly deserved it. There's no question he should be starting in that role — he turns up at big tournaments."

Stars shine — but not Ronaldo

Across the tournament, nearly every major name has already found the scoresheet, with the notable exception of Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal — though Morrison credited DR Congo with an excellent defensive performance to keep him quiet. Lionel Messi's hat-trick for Argentina, meanwhile, left Morrison impressed, calling both the man and the team convincing and dominant.

Senegal, France, and a disputed penalty

Senegal made a competitive start against France before Kylian Mbappé's two brilliant goals proved the difference. Morrison was unequivocal that Sadio Mané should have been awarded a penalty during the match, calling it a "stonewall" decision from where he was watching. "Mané's rushing back and doesn't get any of it," he said. "They're trying to say Mbappé's left leg collides into Mané, but there's nowhere else he can put his back leg."

Controversial red cards for South Africa

Morrison also questioned two red cards shown to South Africa in their opening group match against Mexico. He felt Themba Zwane's dismissal for swinging his arm was harsh, and he was equally unconvinced by Yaya Sithole's red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity — arguing that Sithole was not through on goal and that other defenders were tracking back. Outside of those decisions, Morrison praised the standard of officiating across the tournament so far.

Eyes on Ghana next

With England's second group game against Ghana on the horizon, Morrison urged Tuchel to replicate the second-half intensity shown against Croatia for the full 90 minutes. He noted that Ghana struggled before Brandon Thomas-Asante's cameo made an impact, and suggested Tuchel has genuine options in attack — potentially bringing in Saka for Noni Madueke or Rashford for Anthony Gordon. There was also a fitness question mark over Declan Rice following an apparent knock late in the Croatia match.

"You need to play your best team, as you only get one chance to top the group," Morrison concluded. "It is so important to finish first and avoid playing one of the top teams sooner."